Resilience

Mounting evidence shows that the 50-70% of the most vulnerable youth in high risk environments grow to be caring, confident and successful adults. Resilience exists only in the presence of risk. Protective factors are much more powerful determinants of health than risks are; yet majority of public health programs tend to focus on deficits and preventing risk factors.

How do you define resilience or positive adaptation? Resilience is risk and context-specific. DNA staff have a particularly strong theoretical and research background to design and conduct resilience-based studies, evaluations and develop instruments. We have published numerous research papers on resilience and positive development; and have an in-depth understanding of the concept, methods and measurement of resilience as a process (individual or group-level), protective factors, and outcomes over time.

We hope to converge practical knowledge with academic scholarship to date, to develop simple and useful surveys and methods to evaluate and advance use of resilience measures, processes, and strategies in practice. Resilience works! It is one of the most effective concepts and framework programs can use to reduce risks and improve outcomes. See some of our samples below, and let's have a conversation about how you can use it in your program.